


The Slayers' Junglegym

by Omoni



Category: Slayers (anime)
Genre: Gen, Multi, Other
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2010-10-24
Updated: 2014-02-15
Packaged: 2017-10-12 20:58:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 11
Words: 6,869
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/129011
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Omoni/pseuds/Omoni
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A dumping ground for all of my Slayers drabbles, containing mostly Lina/Gourry fics, but will feature other characters as well. These are non-linear and contain spoilers for the series, and unless stated otherwise contain no reference to Revolution or Evolution.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Golden Phantom

**Author's Note:**

> Writer's Note: As a celebration for four years of writing crap on the internet, I proposed a little fic meme on my livejournal, the first of which was a request for more Slayers fics! So, as per pharaoh_999's request, here is a fic, with the prompt "ghost or vision"!
> 
> Warning: Takes place during Slayers TRY and contains spoilers.

Gourry's heart raced within his chest so fast that he thought it would burst.

He listened to the words that Lina chanted, and even though he wasn't quite sure what they meant, they sent chills down his spine. The way her hands shone bright gold, the way the air suddenly felt warmer, and especially the way her eyes stayed closed during the whole time…it made him fear for her.

It made him scared for her.

In a single moment, it seemed like his whole world consisted only of her and her chanted words. She seemed enveloped in that golden light that, while beautiful, seemed more deadly than a sharpened knife held to the throat.

Her voice grew louder, and suddenly Gourry knew that she was reaching the end of the spell. His eyes widened and he opened his mouth to shout to her, to tell her to stop, to tell her to forget about it, that the risk was too great…

But something made him stop. The words dried up in his throat, and his mouth went dry. Because if he looked close enough, he could see… _something..._ surrounding Lina as she stood, arms up, hands held together.

He stared, feeling like he was unable to breathe. There was something horribly familiar about it, something that made him feel uncomfortable, almost lonely…

It was almost the shape of a woman…

But then, just as Lina was about to finish, the shape, and the magic along with it, vanished into nothing. In its place were two white figures, so bright that they were almost too painful to look at.

 _This is a world of ghosts, a place of spirits…_ Gourry found himself thinking suddenly.

The two figures slammed what looked like weapons into two control panels, and then Gourry saw nothing else for a long time.

But he would never forget that golden woman, and the fear that, upon seeing her, had made his heart ache.


	2. Nightmares

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: Occurs post-NEXT and contains spoilers.

They were rare, but that only ensured that they would pack a punch.

Lina hated them. All of her life, she had prided herself in being a happy, optimistic person. When things got hard, she punched her way through. When it looked like too much, she held out her plate and asked for more.

That was during the day. During the night, it was always another story.

The first was after the fight with Rezo. It was, compared to future ones, pretty tame, but she had still woken up with a start and found herself covered in sweat, her heart racing. She hadn't woken anyone, which was a relief, but the fear lingered under her skin for the rest of the day. She had been moody and irritable, and only when she was promised all the food she could it did she manage to shake the feeling off.

The worst ones were after fighting Phibrizzo.

It was understandable, really. No one could stand there and watch their friends die before their eyes and come out of such a thing unscathed. No one could also watch the one person that, until recently, they hadn't realised they loved with all of their heart almost die for real as well without feeling it.

But, somehow, along the way, as the nightmares changed and twisted according to what she experienced, getting worse and worse as she tried to suppress them, she realised that she wasn't as alone as she had first thought.

The first night was months after that horrible battle. It was the worst yet, horrifically graphic and a complete exaggeration of what had actually occurred, and she woke up to the sounds of her own screams. She had thrashed out, trying to punch away the images, trying to stop them from flooding into her mind. Her fingers met resistance, and her ears were deaf to anything but the sound of her friends' dying screams.

It was only when her hands were held immobile did she manage to get her mind to surface. Trembling from head-to-toe, she focused, her eyes blurred with tears, only to find Gourry's eyes staring back at her. It took another few minutes to realise that he was speaking to her.

"Lina, wake up!" he was saying, his voice high with panic. "It's just a dream, it's not real!"

 _Not real_ , his words echoed, _not real, not real, not real…_

 _It_ is _real. They're dead, all because of me…_

 _You couldn't save them….it's all your fault._

 _If they had never met you…_

"Lina!" and here, his voice carried a horrible sound, one akin to an animal shrieking from its pain. She felt him shaking her. "Wake up!"

And she did. Her eyes slid over to his again, and they focused. He stared back, his face a mask of worry and fear. Without thinking, she reached out a hand and gently brushed her fingers over his cheeks. They shook.

"Thank you," she whispered. "Sorry."

Gourry pulled her close, hugging her tightly. "Don't scare me like that!" he pleaded into her shoulder. Mutely, she hugged him back, feeling both her own body as well as his trembling. She shut her eyes, feeling his warmth and love, and it was enough to chase away the residue the images had left.

It wasn't the last time he would have to, in a way, rescue her from her nightmares. If it had been anyone else, she would have been humiliated and angry, but with Gourry…it was something else entirely. During the daylight hours, it was never mentioned, but at night, when they were alone together, it was like another world, another plane of existence that consisted of only them, and it made facing it all easier.


	3. Field Trip

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: Occurs between NEXT and TRY and may contain spoilers.

"Okay, Gourry."

"Okay, Lina!"

"We're going, like it or lump it."

"Where are we going, Lina!"

Lina paused, her fork halfway to her mouth. "I…don't know yet. But it's going to be awesome!"

Gourry slapped a hand to his forehead, groaning. "You got me excited for nothing!" he complained.

Lina leaned over and snatched up a lamb chop from his plate in reply. "You should be excited! It's exciting to wander aimlessly!"

Gourry sulked. "We do that every day. Why can't we have a plan for once?"

Lina rolled her eyes. "Oh, go play with a map, you big baby."

"I would, but you burned them all."

Lina's reply was to start shovelling all of his food into her mouth, which resulted in an all-out brawl.

When the dust settled and both were full and content, Gourry tried again. "So where are we going?" he wondered.

Ina sighed, leaning back and picking at her teeth. "Uhm…I was thinking maybe someplace north? Someplace nice?"

Gourry made a face. "That's not detailed enough for me."

"What is?"

Gourry ignored that. "I think we should try to actually plan something out this time, make a schedule, work with a time limit."

"That's boring," Lina answered flatly. "And stupid."

Gourry opened his mouth to reply with something scathing, but she cut him off, "but, since I don't have ideas, do what you want. Just make it interesting."

He couldn't believe what he had just heard. Confused, he checked the dishes around her, making sure that there was nothing that contained alcohol. It didn't escape her notice. "What do you think you're doing?" she wondered, her voice low.

"You never let me decide," he answered honestly. "So I thought you were drunk."

The plate that crashed into his head was perfectly aimed, so that proved his theory wrong.

Much later, Gourry had successfully managed to grab hold of a map, and was happily examining it. Lina was standing a bit away, her arms crossed, a look of ill amusement on her face. It was obvious that she was regretting her decision.

"Okay," Gourry closed the distance and showed her the map, which she looked at with feigned interest. "If we keep heading east, we can reach this little place here, which, it turns out, is a place we've never been to before."

Lina sighed. "Maybe there's a reason why we haven't been there."

"Cheer up, Lina!" Gourry replied excitedly. "This could be an adventure waiting to happen!"

"Or death."

Which resulted in Lina being held in a head-lock for a good ten minutes while Gourry explained the rest of his plan.

On the road, Lina had to admit that Gourry's idea wasn't the worst in the world. It certainly was on the scenic side, and the air was fresh and crisp. It was a nice change of pace from all of the villages they had been caught in.

"Just wait," Gourry said excitedly. "This is going to be the best."

"Where are we going, exactly?" she wondered.

"You can't spoil the surprise!" he answered sternly.

It was only when they found themselves standing before a cave that Lina started to feel a little sliver of worry. "Gourry, what is this?" she demanded.

Gourry threw out his hands. "This is the place!"

"The place of what?"

"Our field trip!"

Lina stared at him through narrowed eyes. "Are you just getting stupider?"

Gourry grabbed her by the hand and dragged her in with a laugh.

His laughs turned to shouts when, upon entering, they found themselves face-to-face with a group of very nasty and very hungry-looking vampire bats.

Needless to say, it was the last time that Gourry ever picked out a trip for them, _ever._


	4. Blood

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: Takes place during NEXT and contains spoilers.

They were going to lose.

That much was clear. No matter how hard they fought, no matter how much magic and strength was used, Gaav was just too powerful to best.

The fact that he was still alive after taking the full force of a Ragna Blade was proof of that.

And now, as her mouth filled with blood, and she staggered to the ground before Gaav, all Lina could focus on was, _we're going lose. We're going to die…_

The worst part was that hers wasn't the last blood that would be spilt that day. She had to watch as Gourry and Zelgadis each took turns facing down – and being beaten – Gaav while she tried to recover her strength.

 _Why isn't it enough? Why can't we beat him?_

 _Why are we even fighting this battle?_

 _Do we all have to die before it ends?_

 _Will we bathe this valley in our blood before our victory?_

Lina felt herself trembling, dragging herself towards the fight, calling out her friends' names in desperation. She could taste the blood, feel the precious amount of energy she had leave her, but all she could see was red, and all she could hear was the screams of her friends.

 _It has to stop._

 _IT HAS TO STOP!_

And suddenly, thankfully, it did. Amelia's sharp bell of a voice rang out, and the bloodbath ceased.

For a moment. Always a moment. Always fleeting.

But all Lina could think of was, _it has to stop…_


	5. Fire

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: Takes place post-TRY and contains spoilers.

In the dark of the night, even after all of these years, nothing got the blood humming within her than the sight of her own fire.

She had had a long, fulfilling life; she knew that. You don't watch two young girls grow up and become women without realising that there was some success in life. She had made mistakes. She could have done better. But Lina knew that, bottom line, her life was an accomplishment.

And now, even settled into her late years, with her hair showing white and her face showing lines, she still could find joy in razing a simple bandit camp, just like she had all of those decades ago.

The fire sparked from her fingertips, lighting all around her with a flickering shimmer. If she wasn't careful, the flames would hypnotise her into losing control, but she knew how to keep it at bay. The heat filled her body, sang in her blood, and she was content enough. She would not lose control.

The air was full of the screams and cries of dismay as she devoured the camp with her element and took what was now hers. Her smile was permanently stuck on her face. Her heart was racing within her breast.

She could only hope that her daughters would find this same joy and excitement in their own travels, even if it was just an ounce of what she felt now.

She felt young, newborn, free. A dozen aches that had announced themselves over the years washed away. She was able to dance, to weave through the bodies, to move without hesitation.

She made the flames dance. She made them thread through the air, tracing intricate patterns, the sounds of the bandits a sweet melody that accompanied the roar of the fire.

Lina knew that, until her last breath, she would always be fire's slave. And she welcomed it with held-up hands.


	6. Eyes of Ice

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Writer's Note: Written for Pharoah_999 as a request. Hope you like it!
> 
> Warning: Takes place during NEXT and contains spoilers.

The moment she hit the ground she knew she was a goner. There just wasn't any other way to think about it. Despite having this guy outnumbered, Lina and her friends were still completely outmatched.

She barely had time to recover from her fall before the man in the mask was hovering over her, the stolen Sword of Light in his hands and held over her. She gritted her teeth, meeting his cold gaze with her own, scrambling to find a solution out of this, desperately trying to piece together a plan.

The worst part, the very worst part, was looking death in the face and having to realise that the Sword of Light, Gourry's pride and joy, had been _stolen_ from him.

The moment her eyes met his, it was almost as if something cracked within her. She felt her body stiffen, like she had been frozen. The eyes before her were cold, heartless, seemingly made of the coldest of ice, but when she met them, they flickered, wavering a little.

And to her surprise, the man put a hand to his head and groaned, staggering back. Lina felt her breath catch, especially when the eyes opened again, and she could see that the careful blankness had vanished, only to be replaced by confusion, and hatred, and anger.

Something was _familiar_ about that gaze...

But then, even when she felt like she was seconds from figuring it out, the man gave a yell, came forward, and swung the pilfered Sword of Light, intent on her demise. She didn't even have time to scream, or breathe, or _blink—_

And then someone held her in his arms and yanked her away, and she realised who it was – Zangulus - and her heart seemed to shred a little.

 _Because if_ he's _here, then that means..._

But she had no time to finish that thought. The real fight had begun.


	7. Failure

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Writer's Note: A prompt from Fearlessfirefly, an AU idea of what would happen if Lina was alone when casting the Giga Slave.
> 
> Warning: Occurs post-NEXT and contains spoilers.

It was a foolish plan, one that was bound to end in pain. But Lina couldn't see it working any other way - the Giga Slave had always been her trump card, and had always worked when she needed it. Of course it was obvious that there were risks, but if it saved the day, what did it matter?

She cast it perfectly - she felt that in her bones. The words flew from her lips and threw themselves up into the heavens, showering her with power and strength. Even without the Sword of Light, she knew it would work, she was strong, she could take it...

Something balked.

Lina's eyes widened, her body already encased in that telltale glow of golden-black. She froze, her hands out, unsure if what had just happened had actually happened. It was only when she felt that same jolt again, and felt something inside of her weaken, that she realised she was in trouble.

 _No,_ she wanted to scream, feeling her control slip away, but her words were silenced. She wanted to cry, to scream out, to fight run from this, but she was rooted to the spot.

And it ended all so suddenly. The moment the spell reached its climax, everything deep within her seemed to flicker out and join it. When the spell's light reached up with ghostly fingers and ripped a hole into the sky, Lina dropped to her knees and watched. And when the spell used the last of her life to consume the life of thousands of others, Lina's eyes stayed open.


	8. Unfinished Business

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Writer's Note: A prompt from Fearlessfirefly, an AU idea of what would happen if Gourry died and returned as a ghost to haunt Lina (with fluffy results).

Gourry didn't remember much about what happened. He wasn't too surprised about this, but even he figured hat something as pivotal as his own death would be something to remember...but oh well.

He remembered a lot of fire, lots of screaming, and something hurting like hell. he remembered Lina's tear stained face, her threats that if he died she would kill him, and thinking, _Well, okay, I wonder if it's possible to die twice_.

For a while, there was nothing but darkness.

And then he woke up here, sitting on the edge of Lina's bed, watching her curled up on her side and sobbing.

He blinked, then looked at his hands. They were normal...ish. He could see through them to the floor below, but they had some colour to them, so that wasn't too bad. When he poked the bed a little, his fingertip made a tiny indent, about half of what it would have made in normal circumstances, but it still counted for something.

So he leaned over and poked Lina's leg.

She jumped, so startled that she gasped, and she sat up. She looked towards him, her eyes falling on him before sliding away again...and then they went back. And stared.

"Hey," he said with a smile, waving.

He wasn't surprised when she shrieked, but _was_ surprised when she tried to punch him.

* * *

  
"How can you be here?" she wondered, sounding bewildered and lost, her face still wet. "You...you're...gone."

"Yeah," Gourry nodded, scratching the back of his head and finding he could. "I'm not too sure about it, either. But I don't think I mind!"

Lina stared, her mouth open. Her eyes were dark, but ever since she managed to calm down from the shock of seeing him, there was tiny spark of their old fire deep within them again.

Slowly, she smiled, a small and flickery gesture. "I don't, either."


	9. Matrimony, Accidentally

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Writer's Note: A request from Fearlessfirefly. I love Sneaky!Gourry.

Later, Lina realised that cake soaked in liquor was still a vice, even after all of this time. But now, she found it just as amazing as she did back in Seyruun. Perhaps even more.

They had reached this down so late in the day that Lina didn't even remember what it was called, but it didn't matter too much. It was busy, even as the night spiralled well into what would have been in any other town considered "the forbidden hours". Lina and Gourry sat side-by-side at a restaurant, the table situated outside so that Lina would be able to get a good view of the goings-on while enjoying her cake.

"Y'know what I love about the nighttime, Gourry?" she wondered now, leaning back against his chest and staring up into the lamplight-hidden sky. When Gourry made a sound akin to a response, she answered, "The sounds. Everyone is damned hyper at night."

Gourry yawned, his eyes only half-open. "I dunno," he admitted. He didn't sound affected at all by what he ate, but Lina would know in the morning for sure, since alcohol tended to suck his memory dry - moreso than usual. "Everything is loud, and it sort of smells."

"It's the smell of life, Gourry!" Lina answered, blinking hard and leaning away from him, cranking her head backward to look up into his face. "Life and sound!"

Gourry made a face. "You're drunk," he accused.

"You're stupid," Lina answered back, not wanting to bother trying to deny the obvious.

Gourry slowly got to his feet and stretched. Lina watched him, unable to keep her eyes away. He then reached down and placed a hand on her cheek with a smile, and she blushed. "Let's get some coffee, okay?"

Lina sighed, rolling her eyes and following suit. "Fine."

They walked together, Lina keeping close and holding onto his arm for support. She could still walk, but she knew that without his solid form beside her she would stumble and make an ass of herself, and really, who needed that?

Lina let her mind wander; she trusted Gourry to lead her in the right direction, and the affects of the cake as well as the late night was making her kind of dopey. When he suddenly stopped, she jerked out of a daze, snorting a little.

She peered over to where he was looking and found that Gourry was entranced by what looked like a jewel-encrusted doorway. That was when she knew for sure that he was as drunk as she - because that kind of gaudy crap would never be his cup of tea otherwise.

 _Oh, well - he won't remember, anyway,_. "Want to go in?"

Gourry nodded slowly, looking absolutely smitten. "Yes, let's."

Together, arm-in-arm, they walked in through the door.

And that was when Lina's memory stopped working.

* * *

When Lina awoke the next day, her head was _throbbing_ and her mouth tasted like death. She felt sore _everywhere_ , and her whole body felt weighed down by her hangover.

She groaned, a hand going to her forehead and rubbing hard, keeping her eyes shut.

And then gasped, her whole body jumping as if hit by lightning. Indeed, that was _exactly_ how it felt, and she should know - she had been hit by lightning before.

Images seemed to dance before her eyes, random and faded and fuzzy. Gourry dragging her into what looked like a quartz cave's barf, then a really old and wrinkled face. She remembered thinking something about stereotypes, Gourry's blond hair, and being hungry again. Then there were lots of words she repeated in a giggling voice, heard Gourry say the same, and then... _kissing. Lots of kissing._

Her whole body went hot, her face feeling on fire. _More than kissing. Shit._

Her eyes snapped open and looked down, focusing instantly on the mop of blond hair that was resting on her _very naked chest_.

"Ah," she gulped out, unable to even think of forming words in her shock.

Gourry seemed to hear it. Slowly, he woke up, raising his head and looking up at her with sleepy blue eyes. "Hey," he mumbled. "I'm hungry."

She stared at him. He stared back. Then she screamed. And Fireballed him. Several times.

When the smoke cleared and Lina was wrapped in blankets and standing over Gourry's still form in a pillar of rage, Gourry muttered slowly, "Oops."

" _Oops, my ass!_ " Lina shrieked. "What happened last night?"

Gourry looked up, and Lina tried very hard to keep her eyes on his face. "Uuuh..."

"Oh, what am I thinking?" Lina burst out. "You were drunk - you don't remember, do you? Dammit! What the hell was I thinking? I am _never having cake again!_ "

And to her horror, Gourry looked away, his face going dark and...guilty?

Lina leaned down, her voice dangerous. "Gourry," she said slowly. "Do you remember what happened last night?"

Gourry refused to look at her. "Uh," he mumbled. "Yes. I wasn't drunk."

The blood drained from her face int hat one instant. "You...weren't? You wanted to see that horrible crystal vomit place _by choice_?"

Gourry winced, leaning down and burying his face into his arms. "Yeah. I know what it was. I knew the only way to get you in there would be to influence your shyness to be...shy."

"Gourry," Lina said slowly, not looking at him now. "What was that place?"

"A...marriage chapel."

When the entire room exploded, Gourry couldn't say he was surprised.


	10. The Last Goodbye

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Writer's note: Written for Pharoah999, as a prequel to "Allure of the Night". It's really kind of grim, despite being important to the plot, so yeah. Read with caution, I guess?
> 
> Warning: Contains spoilers for my fic "Allure of the night" and takes place before the events of that fic.

Soldiers usually expect to die in the midst of battle. It was the way things ended for their like; they lived in violence, and thus were doomed to face death in violence, too.

In their lives together, Gourry had come close. He had managed to avoid a violent death by sometimes as close as a hair's width - and then laugh about it later. Lina loved that about him, loved his carefree attitude, his ability to understand that perhaps he would die badly but still he wouldn't dwell on it.

If anyone had asked him, he never would have thought he would die an old man. If asked, he would have owed it to Lina.

 _But he_ was _old,_ Lina realised one day, standing at his side of the bed and looking down on his sleeping form. _He's grown old without my realising it - no, without my_ admitting _it._

She watched him as he slept, listened to how his breaths came out in random gusts, almost like his remembering to take them was an afterthought. He had been sick for several days, and Lina had pegged it to a simple cold brought on by the weather change.

He had laughed it off, blowing his nose loudly and sometimes showing her the result, just to hear her scream and get her to punch him. But as the days went on, he slowed down, and now, he was bedridden, unable to find the energy to even get up for the day.

 _His hair is so white,_ Lina thought numbly, her fingers going to her own hair, the colour still orange, albeit lighter. _His face is so thin, and lined...Gourry, what happened to you? Why was I so blind?_

She sat on the bed, placing her hand on his chest. He stirred, then opened his eyes a crack, the colour dim. With a jolt, Lina knew what it meant, and her heart stuttered and seized within her breast.

But he smiled, reached up and placed his hand over hers. "Lina," he chided softly. "It's very late, and you get bitchy when you don't sleep your usual thirteen hours." His voice was so frail, like old and dry paper, despite the familiar and comforting teasing.

Lina opened her mouth to reply, but something else came out instead, a sound like a croak, or the sound a cat makes when someone steps on its tail. Her eyes filled, and she gritted her teeth, her hand shaking upon his chest. She could feel his heart beating, still, but it was so faint and unevenly paced that she knew, _she knew_ , and it was killing her inside.

Except she wasn't sure she _could_ die anymore.

But she said it. She had to. "You're leaving, aren't you?"

Gourry sighed, the sound long and drawn out, his eyes closing for a moment. "Feels like it," he admitted.

Something sparked within her. "You _can't leave_ ," she snarled, the tears falling free. She reached down and grabbed onto his shoulders, digging her fingers in. " _You can't leave! I_ was the one who was supposed to go first. _I can't live without you!_ "

She was shouting desperately now, her voice a broken wail. Gourry looked at her, his eyes already so blank, his breathing already so faint. Slowly, he smiled up at her, reaching up with his hand and cupping her cheek into it. She shut her eyes, sobbing out something incoherent.

"You _can_ live without me," he said softly. She opened her eyes, her hands going up to hold his hand onto her face, his fingers already slackening. "You're smart. You're not stupid. Don't act like it now."

She barked out a laugh, more like a sob. "And _you_ would know what an idiot is, right?"

He chuckled softly, closing his eyes. "Yeah, I would."

She crumpled then, curling up on his chest and sobbing, clutching him close and not letting go. His hands touched her, but they were so light and so cold. She willed her own life to flow into him, but no matter how hard she prayed and hoped and cried, he was still dying and she could do nothing to save him.

And when she felt him breathe out his last, felt him relax beneath her, something snapped. She pleaded into his ear, told him she loved him over and over, said that she would be a better wife and a better woman if he stayed, but he was already gone.

And everything turned red before her, and she screamed. The sound could be heard for miles, but she didn't care. She wouldn't care, not for a long time. Not without being nudged into it. Not without help.


	11. Primrose, Passionflower

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Written for TFG, who wanted some fluffy Lina/Gourry romance with the prompt "Primrose'. This one was odd, but I still like it. And hey, I'm writing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Note: This takes place after NEXT and before TRY, with no reference to Revolution and Evolution.

_Scribbler's Note: Hello, long time no write! Here's something to change that - Lina and Gourry, with the prompt "Primrose", for TFG. Yep, that means fluffy romance. I AM NOT SORRY._

**Spoiler Alert: Written to take place between Next and Try, because that's usually how I roll when it comes to romance for Slayers. Yaaaay!**

**Primrose, Passionflower**

Lina's insomnia was starting to make her a little... crazy. Gourry had noticed this early on, but had hoped that the problem would resolve itself on its own. When Lina couldn't sleep, she usually took it out on bandits. Now, after three days, she was still awake, her stock of bandits had run out. And now Gourry was worried.

Lina was, too. Her eyes, bloodshot and darkened, darted too quickly around, looking from him, to behind him, to in front of her feet, then back to him. She tried pacing, meditating, sitting, lighting fires, and pretty much everything – save bashing her head onto a rock. When she found herself eyeing a rock at one point, she knew she had reached her mental limit.

It had been a hard year; that was for sure. Between dealing with Gaav and then Phibrizzo - on top of losing Gourry to the latter - she had pretty much used her emotional bank to the limit. Now overdrawn, she couldn't sleep, despite the fact that Phribrizzo was dead and Gourry was now beside her.

Everything she had to deal with kept floating back up into her mind, like a bad bout of acid reflux. Even though she knew everyone was safe, she didn't quite feel it yet. And even though Gourry promised he wouldn't go anywhere, she still worried when she lost track of him.

But eyeing that rock... Lina knew she needed help.

She wheeled around from her pacing, turning and charging towards Gourry, who sat at the small daylight fire, poking small twigs into it dejectedly. She knew that look: he was still smarting from her yelling at him, even though they both knew that he was trying to help and she was just tired. Upon seeing her coming towards him, he sat up straighter and braced himself, waiting for an onslaught of... whatever.

_Maybe punching me would make her sleep?_ he thought desperately, wishing he could cast a spell on her to do just that (the sleeping, not the punching). Anything to get her eyes back to their normal, bright colour.

She joined him, sat down at his side, and said, very slowly, "Okay. I need you to go into the forest and get me something."

He blinked at her slowly. "Me?" he said, actually wondering if maybe she was so far gone she was seeing other people, hallucinating someone else to yell at.

"Yes," she snapped, then inhaled sharply, shutting her eyes. Reining in that temper. "I don't like using herbs because they're stupid, and only dumbasses who worship the sun use them, but..." She trailed off, her brain no longer able to keep her words going.

This was a hidden boon for Gourry. For once, her brain wasn't outpacing his in words.

"You're out of options," he finished helpfully.

She smiled faintly, and both suddenly felt a little better. She, for his gentle understanding; and he, for that tiny, tiny smile. "Yeah." She tugged at her bangs a bit, then went on. "I need a plant called passionflower."

Gourry stared at her. "Uh..." He felt his face heat up suddenly. While they were admittedly closer, and no words of love had been exchanged, it was pretty much unspoken that they loved each other and they were both in it together – them against the world. However, that didn't mean they were suddenly newlyweds. Save a few hugs and kisses, Lina was her usual self, and so was he. He left that stuff up to her.

_Maybe that wasn't such a good idea? That name, it sounded almost like..._

He cleared his throat. "I don't think we need to resort to that to get you to sleep," he said. Gourry wasn't dead; he felt his blood stir often when with her, and knew that she felt that too. But it sounded as if she wanted... something he didn't think they were quite ready for, yet.

Lina's face was a scrunched-up mask of confusion and annoyance. "What are you talking about?" she snapped again, unable to keep her temper back this time.

"Uh," Gourry stammered, his eyes going wide. "Well, I mean, I would like to, with you, someday, maybe soon, but I think it should mean more than just exhausting you for sleep, don't you think?"

Lina stared at him, unable to keep herself from gaping at him. _Now_ she understood. She shrieked and tugged her bangs again, then smacked his head - hard. "No, I do _not_ want you to sleep with me to get me tired!" she shouted, loud enough to upset a cloud of birds. "You _idiot_! You _moron_! It's a plant that helps you _sleep_ , not to get _laid_! I thought you were raised by your grandmother?! Didn't she teach you _anything_?!"

"But it says _passion_ in the name!" Gourry squealed out in protest.

"It's just a name!" she snarled back.

Quickly, she described the flower as best as she could, her hands now at her temples and her eyes shut. She was hunched over, the words spat out between clenched teeth, and Gourry tried very hard to follow what she was saying, trying to imagine that flower in his head so that it would knock her out before she knocked _him_ out.

"Okay," he said quickly, jumping to his feet. "What's it called? Primrose?"

" _Passionflower!"_ she shouted. "Forget primrose! Do _not_ get primrose!"

"Right," he nodded. "Got it. Give me a bit." And he ran off towards the forest, like a bat out of hell – or a bat rushing _back_ to hell.

Lina pushed away a sudden bout of anxiety, suddenly wishing he was still there and in her sights, despite her frustration with him. Her face still burned from his comments. _Honestly,_ she thought, _sex just for the reason of sleep. What an idiot. Doesn't it mean a thing to him?_

That was not a conversation for right now, she decided. Not when she was this angry and irrational. No, she would yell at him about that later one, once she had maybe a day of sleep or so behind her.

At first, she decided to continue to pace. To keep her mind off the obvious issues – exhaustion and Gourry's absence – she instead used the pacing of her feet to keep time while she mentally recited some of the spells in her mental library she hadn't quite mastered yet. It was a tactic she used to keep her mind sharp, as well as try to stay on top of the ever-changing world of magic. Someone, somewhere, was always inventing some new spell. She suspected that, once the new world was explored, there would be even more spells to learn (only later she discovered the truth). She wanted to mentally prepare for that, because of course she was going to explore the new world.

These thoughts circled for several hours, because there were still quite a few spells she had yet to master the theory of completely. It was only when she noticed the mosquitoes in her face that she had been pacing for hours and Gourry was not back. And the sun was going down.

Suddenly, the hours vanished, and she felt that uncharacteristic but still painful feeling of panic bite into her. She looked around, her tired eyes blurry and dry, the dimming light making it no easier to see. "Gourry?" she called, her voice barely a whisper. She swallowed and tried again, louder, but still, no answer.

Her heart raced, adrenaline flooding her tired blood. Anxious now, she staggered towards the thicket of trees she had banished him to, her steps unsteady from pacing. She shouted out his name again, unable to keep the note of panic from it.

Then, someone, from not too far away, said, "Yeah! Hold on!"

She stopped in her tracks, her heart racing, recognising Gourry and also expecting the worst. She waited, occasionally calling his name again, just to hear him say the same, "Yeah, hold _on_ ," in that long-suffering tone.

Finally, he broke through the bush, and Lina had to bite the inside of her cheek to keep from bursting into tears; she locked her knees to keep them from propelling her forward. She was glad the dying sunlight made her face dim, for surely she was at least close to tears.

Gourry was, as usual, nonplussed. In one hand he held a bushel of flowers, the other his plain sword, used as a kind of machete. His hair was wild and full of oddly bent branches, and every other word was a muttered cuss. But when their eyes met, he stopped and smiled, and she inhaled sharply. "There, here I am!" he called cheerfully, waving his sword at her. From what he could see, Lina was bouncing from foot to foot in anger, probably seconds away from another exhausted outburst.

However, when he finally stopped in front of her with a happy, "Yo," and a thickened skin awaiting verbal arrows, he realised just how wrong he was. It shocked him, and it must have shown, because her own face flickered in shock as well. Without a word, he sheathed his sword and hugged her, the flowers crushing against her back as she flung her arms around him tight. Against his chest, he could feel her heart racing against his, and that old fear, that not forgotten fear, of gold light and painful loss...

The embrace was long, longer than Lina would have expected, but she didn't want to let go, and apparently neither did he. His face buried into her hair, and he leaned down to accommodate her height without crushing her. It was the perfect compromise, and she clung to him like a koala, squeezing her eyes shut and letting a few tears escape.

Finally, after what seemed a little too short, the embrace ended. No one knew who ended it first, but the light was much dimmer than it had been at the start. A small silence passed between them, then, "Did you find it?" Lina murmured.

Gourry started, then looked at his hand, the one holding the flowers. "Yes!" he grinned, his face beaming even in the dying light. "Primrose! Just like you asked!"

Lina blinked, staring at the flowers. He was right - it was primrose. The flower Lina specifically told him _not_ to get confused with the herb she actually needed.

It was strange. Her reflexes told her to stuff the flowers down his throat, but they were sat on by a larger feeling, one that said, 'Take it, pretend it's right, and move one.' Lina realised that that was exactly what she wanted to do.

She took them gently, her fingers lingering over his, and his responded almost without any thought. "Thank you," she said gently, keeping her eyes lowered, feeling heavy and warm. She felt her whole face on fire, especially when Gourry kept his hand on hers.

"Shall I make the tea of it?" he asked softly. "I know how to boil leaves."

She smiled wider. "No," she said, already feeling a slight tug on her eyelids. She brought the flowers - and his hand - to her nose and breathed in deeply. "There. That should do it." She kept her face hidden, but her eyes met his, and saw a slight glow in the darkened light of night, one she knew was just for her.

Gently, Lina led him back to their small campsite. Hand-in-hand, they lay together, curled like lovers but without the actual 'lovers' part. Lina burrowed into his side like a burr, and he scooped her close and encircled her tight. In Lina's hands she held the useless but fragrant flowers, their smell suddenly sweet and comforting. Gourry fell asleep almost as soon as she was comfortable, and Lina expected another sleepless night. But when she closed her eyes to burrow even closer to her swordsman, she opened them to bright light.

Morning. She had slept through the whole night. As she came to her surroundings, she realised that she had been so tired, she slept in one position all night. Stiff muscles ached as she wiggled her fingers and toes, but she could feel Gourry beside her sleeping his loud sleep.

Nestled against his breast was the nosegay of primrose, clutched in his hand. her own hand was trapped between his and his chest, right over his heart. She smiled, lying back down and snuggling closer, already feeling another tug of sleep.

As she drifted off, she inhaled the gentle, sweet smell of the flower - and Gourry.


End file.
